12091: President Aristide talks on Restaveks, Street Children and Children in general (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: MKarshan@aol.com

Unofficial translation of press Conference held at the Port-au-Prince International Airport by President Jean-Bertrand Aristide upon his return to Haiti on May 11, 2002 returning from the United Nations Special Session on Children


Excellency, Mr. Prime Minister,
Distinguished Members of the Ministerial Cabinet,
Dear compatriots,
Dear children of Haiti,

I am pleased to salute you and to share with you a special salute, a salute from one of the world’s most respected men, from one of the most loved men. He is not from here, but he is one of ours, born elsewhere, but alive in our hearts. A salute from President MANDELA. With the weight of age, he walks a little slower, but his mind is quick, his intelligence and his love are as clever as ever. Intelligent, brave, he is always ready, among children as well as adults, to defend equality. We are all equal. When I think of him, a picture of children comes to my memory. This picture is a good lesson for me, and for many of us.

A few years ago, we spent a nice time at home, with 2 groups of children. Children living in the street and children who are domestic servants. There were about one hundred children all together. Both groups accepted to swim in the same swimming pool. When it came time to eat, I had to leave for a few minutes and when I came back, I saw a scene that quite shocked me. The children had moved the tables so both groups would be clearly separated. On one side were the children living in the street and on the other side, were the children who were domestic servants. I was shocked and a bit angry. I controlled myself and went towards a child who lived in the streets. I asked him if they had chosen to separate the tables themselves.

He answered yes.

I asked him: "But why?"

He answered: "The children who are domestic servants believe they are at home here."

Fortunately, I was able to find something positive in this situation. I tried to imagine what it would be like being one of those children. A child who lives in the street is used to coming in the house, swimming, he identifies more with the house. He believes that this house is his house. A child who lives in domestic service believes he or she has the same rights, and he or she puts his or her table right next to others’. So the child living in the streets reacts strongly to this. He or she believes that this is his or her territory and that children living in domestic servitude don’t have the same rights. Children living in the street go through many humiliations, many insults. They are not ready to share what they believe to be their territory, their land, their waters, with children who are not part of their group. This story really taught me a lesson. I will never forget it. I was thinking about that a lot while I was on the airplane. And I am convinced that everybody in this country, all of you who have children, who have children living in domestic service, know a story similar to this one.

In eight days, we will celebrate our two-colored. United we stand. Freedom, Equality, Fraternity. How can we talk about equality if we refuse to look at this illegality? Domestic service is slavery. Domestic service is unacceptable.

How can we eradicate domestic service?

It won’t be with a decree, and only a decree. It won’t be with a law, and only a law. It can only be with a reflection from our people, our people who want to keep the light of dignity and pride on. This can only be done through equality between all human beings.

I will take this occasion to congratulate parents who have children in domestic service in their homes and take such good care of them. They have great understanding in their hearts. Thank you to those parents.

Some parents have a very small house, no money, but they have children living in their house because they have room in their hearts and are ready to take good care of the children. Sometimes you can even believe that they are their own children. This is another love story between Haitians. They don’t feel that the children living in domestic service in their house are like animals, who should work late and get up before everybody, live humiliations and be like Sentaniz, while their own children are like Chantoutou in the story.

Unfortunately, some children don’t have the opportunity to watch television or listen to the radio with the adults, so they can hear the authorities talk about them, think about them and see what can be done. Some parents, though, turn up the volume and invite the children living with them to come and see and hear what is said about them. That shows the love these parents have inside their hearts for their children. They are used to sharing with their children, and that is great. Such great sacrifices are done already, loving sacrifices, patriotic sacrifices. Parents make wonderful efforts for their own children, as well as the children living in their home. I hope these sacrifices will continue and increase as we are getting ready to celebrate our National Flag, so life conditions for the children get better and better.

We know for sure that there would be less children living in domestic service if the country had more money, if more people would pay taxes, if financial opportunities would be higher, if there would be no economic sanctions. Because we know how sensitive Haitians are for their children, and for the children living in domestic service. They would not hesitate a minute to send all children to school if they had the possibility to do so. During this week of celebration, one of the national and patriotic sacrifices that could be done is to make life conditions better for children. We cannot declare that children can’t live in people’s houses anymore, because we know it can’t be done so fast. We know very well that bad economic conditions are often responsible for this reality. But we also know that it is possible to help make life conditions better for children living in domestic service and children living in the street, in the name of our country, in the name of equality, while we wait for domestic service to be abolished completely in the country.

May the greatness of MANDELA, the values he believes in, be with us in our collective patriotic movement, towards children living in domestic service and in the streets.

Thank you.

QUESTION:

President Aristide, what will be done by the Northern countries, that were present at the UN Summit, in order to help solve the problems of children in the Southern countries, particularly for the children of Haiti?

PRESIDENT ARISTIDE:

Thank you. Voices of the North and voices of the South spoke together, they spoke of the children. UNICEF played a major role in this. I can’t tell you what this person or that person in the North thinks of the children of the South’s problems. But I know what the institution that is there for the children (UNICEF) does for them. I mentioned President MANDELA earlier. The fact that HARRY BELAFONTE, an American of African origin, introduced President MANDELA, an African man, at the special dinner offered by the Secretary of State for the 70 Heads of States has a great signification.

It demonstrates sensitivity to the great personalities who can really touch adults and children’s hearts, and whose hearts are open to children, no matter what color their skin is. This is a true sign transcending skin color differences. I believe this is good. Even if this fact was pure coincidence, I believe it was positive for children of the South, for parents of the South, to see the respect of equality, transcending skin color differences. This was very good. Now, will Northern countries give financial support to help Southern children? I hope so.

If you look at Denmark, you see a country that has brought a real fast financial contribution. A while ago, I told you about the envelope rich countries would dedicate to quote unquote help countries of the South, or countries in development. It is about 0.3% of their wealth right now. And a decision was taken to bring it up to 0.7%. Well, Denmark is up to about 2% already. This country decided to go fast and this allows the help to really get to the children. This is a positive example. A few other countries chose to go a little faster with their contribution. But I believe we are at a point where it is primordial to do something for the children, whether we are from the North or from the South, because children are everybody’s future.

A peaceful world is one where the new generation will work hand in hand to solve the problems we are facing now. AIDS is a world wide problem. Everything that is done to fight AIDS benefits both the North and the South. Around 300 000 Haitians have AIDS, South Africa is facing the problem, West Africa is also, people from Northern countries have the virus as well. The virus doesn’t need a visa to travel. It has many ways of travelling. It is not a question of North or South, it is about countries that are sharing the same planet. And this is where it is important for everybody who can understand, like UNICEF does, to decide that children are the top priority. To finish, I would like to congratulate especially Haitian children. The seven Haitian children who were real genius stars among other children and adults in New-York, during the Special Assembly for Children.

I congratulate those who worked on that: the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Minister of Social Affairs and Labor. Together, they witnessed how great were the persons who accompanied the children. I also congratulate the parents who were with us all the way, because we all benefit from the honor the children brought on our country.

I hope that the children who are watching me or listening to what I am saying know that my sadness comes from the memory of the tragedy that happened yesterday. Children don’t like to see adults sad, it affects them a lot. That’s how life is. When you have to face painful events, you suffer. But at the same time, we can give each other courage and strength to move ahead and keep going.

So children of Haiti, you may be proud of the children who represented us, because they spoke well, as intelligent children. They spoke as nice Haitian Children, to honor Haiti.

All parents, we, Prime Minister, Ministers, we are all parents too. Everybody who works for the government, all citizens who live in the country, Haitians living in the tenth department, let’s all work together to make it a special day on Saturday, on our National Flag Day, to do everything we can for children living in the streets, for children living in domestic service. The police are doing a good job in protecting everybody’s rights. Let’s continue that good work so children living in the streets find big brothers and big sisters in the police. I am convinced the police will continue their good work. All teachers, all educators, let’s take that occasion to continue not to hurt children physically. On the contrary, it’s with love that we can accompany children, because they are our future. So we will feel that the week for children that just ended is continuing right through our Bicolor Ensign Celebration.

Thank you.